You are (not) a Hero
by AneurysmIncoming
Summary: Hold your head high and don't let the waves engulf you. Wave Country, a no-man's land forsaken by the powers that be. A tyrant clamps his hands around the throats of its people. With the situation spiraling out of control, Konoha sends out it's best to investigate. There is only one way forward and Team 7 must stand against the rising tide. Welcome to the Wave. (Hard AU)
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto in any way, shape or form. Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto and Shonen Jump. Please don't sue me.**

* * *

The shinobi of the Mist stood proud, almost in defiance of the night itself.

His tall frame and exposed chest made him an odd sight at the docks. The sailors were often quite powerfully built due to an arduous life at sea, his impressive frame stood out even among them. That alone wasn't why people avoided him. It was the way he seemed so still, almost corpse-like.

He waited with a hunter's patience. The people that passed him by cautiously made their way back to their homes. They were careful not to make eye contact with those around them, afraid of drawing even the most innocuous attention. He didn't acknowledge prey.

The air around him had a foul odor. It was the smell of unclean bodies, raw meat, diesel and the type of sweat that came with being worked beyond the point of exhaustion. As he slowly drew breath he could detect an undercurrent to the scent, one that he was all too familiar with. The scent of rank desperation.

The tension in the air could be slit with a kunai's edge yet for him it teased out a certain nostalgia. His village, back when the Mizukage still considered him loyal, had developed an atmosphere eerily similar to the one he found himself in now. The spectrum of smells that barraged him were quite different on the surface but if he went beneath the underneath, he found the undertone that left him almost wistful. These thoughts left him with a yearning for home best left buried but there was little to stop it from crawling out of it's grave in moments of self-reflection.

Reaching out with his senses, he found that his package had finally arrived. He let the body bump into him and allowed himself to be drawn out of his reverie.

"H-hey, sorry sir. I didn't mea-It was an accident, I swear."

Dark eyes looked down at the small boy with apathy. The boy dusted himself off but it made little difference. He had pinched cheeks and bags under his eyes. In short, he looked pathetic. The nin noticed the small parcel the scrawny child clutched tightly, as if it were a lifeline.

"I-I'm sorry, I think you dropped this."

The shinobi gave an almost imperceptible nod in acknowledgment and he took the proffered package. As the boy made to run off, the imposing man grabbed his arm. The boy looked up to his concealed face, terrified and then slightly relieved when he saw the coin that was being offered to him. The child stammered a 'thank you' and finally scurried away, as quick as his malnourished frame would allow.

This was what he had been waiting for.

He unwrapped the package, peeling each layer of paper back between a delicate thumb and forefinger. Inside, he found an earpiece attached to a receiver with a frequency already keyed in. He pressed it into his ear, waiting for the offer that he knew would be made. Minutes passed him by, but eventually the radio came to life with a crackle of static.

"Welcome to the Wave, Zabuza-san. I have a job that needs a certain... deft touch? Your services came with impeccable endorsement from my circle of...associates."

The voice sounded aged, but it was tinged with warmth, like an elderly man welcoming an old friend into his home.

Zabuza barely restrained the urge roll to his eyes, he had little patience for niceties."Your offer better be good, I rarely work for petty crooks who put on airs."

The voice tutted, almost as if disappointed. "You wound me, Zabuza-san. I am not a man who comes to a negotiation with nothing interesting to show for it and believe me, I have something for you that would be of great interest. Perhaps a demonstration is in order."

Zabuza raised his eyebrows, skeptical but intrigued. He had expected to haggle over his price to ensure that he got a deal worthy of his talents. Perhaps his supplicant might have something more interesting for him than he initially thought.

"Travel to the small farming community outside of the main city, the coordinates are written on the back of the earpiece. Contact me over the radio when you arrive."

The shinobi carefully studied the earpiece for the information and once memorized, he slipped into an alleyway. When he was under the cover of darkness, he infused chakra into his feet and climbed the building. He leaped from rooftop to rooftop with the grace and precision of a knife's edge. Careful not to draw attention to himself, he bypassed the city gates and made his way into the forest, curious of what he would find waiting for him.

At sunrise he found himself on a cliff-side that over looked what appeared to be a small collection of ramshackle cottages with farmland between them. He reported his arrival over the radio.

"Ah, yes. Zabuza-san, I think you are one of the few people I've met who will appreciate what I have for you here. These farmers have proven stubborn, unwilling to accept the offer protection I have given them, despite the sincerity with which I gave it. Free of charge, I have offered you a front seat for the show that I have on for tonight, watch carefully."

The radio cut off and Zabuza crouched low with a predator's calm. Beneath it, there was anticipation.

It didn't take long for the show to start.

In the distance he heard a sharp and loud report. Swiftly, he lept into a stance and his eyes scanned the horizon, trying to locate the direction of the blast. Then, in the sky, he found what he was looking for. A trail of smoke followed a just barely discernible capsule shaped object.

His eyes widened with surprise but instinct kicked in, his hands were already forming the seals needed for the Water Prison. He felt the rise of bile at the back of his throat, then the torrent of water gushed out of his mouth and enveloped him in a protective shell, ready to shield him from debris and the aftershock of the explosion. He saw the collision course the projectile was on, just before it reached its final destination.

The eruption of flame, smoke and ash was a brutal yet awe inspiring accompanying blast was enough to deafen him, leaving nothing but a high pitched ring that pierced his skull. Once the blinding light dissipated, he released the technique and gazed upon the aftermath.

There was nothing but the scorched shell of what once was a home. There was a dense, suffocating, grey smog that permeated the area. It billowed and filled the dawn tinged sky with ash. The sky itself seemed to burn with a blinding light. Something else drew his focus. He peered closely into the fiery ruins. In the broken and crumbling homes below him, he saw the charred remains of something that might have been human once but it's skin was flayed and cooked, the body mutilated beyond recognition.

Zabuza smiled. His grin was skewed and feral.

The display of power had impressed him. He recognized that Gatou might prove to be an interesting benefactor after all.


	2. Preparations

**Disclaimer** **: I own literally nothing. Naruto is owned by Misashi Kishimoto. Please don't sue me.**

 **A/N: I just want to give some shout-outs to all the people who've helped me write this. Without these people this story probably would never have left my head and been put down in writing, so if you enjoy this story, you should give them some thanks to. So big shout-outs to Cactapie, Infamous Storm, Dakeyras, Enbi and all the people who've given me advice on the Naruto fan-fiction Reddit and Discord. These guys also have their own FFN profiles so feel free to check them out and see if they've written anything that you might like. They're much better writers than I am and have far more experience.**

 **Also, to Glacious, Willibaldvonsomething and tigerowl. Thank you for the reviews, I hope I'm able to meet your expectations.**

 **Just before we start let's get the obvious out of the way. If you liked the story, feel free to leave a review. If you didn't like the story, read it anyway and then leave a review telling me why. Criticism is appreciated just as much as praise.**

 **So without further ado, let's get this story underway!**

* * *

 **Chapter 1 - Preparations**

Kakashi chose to flicker through the window of the Hokage's office.

There were few shinobi who could use the body-flicker, a technique that enhanced speed by temporarily vitalising the body, with such a lackadaisical air. It spoke highly of his skill. The occupants were unimpressed.

His students—he supposed it was time that he granted them the respect that came with their rank, but one never truly stopped being a student or a teacher—were spread across the room awaiting the Hokage's arrival. They'd probably been waiting for him too.

Sasuke leaned against the wall, aloof. His other two students sat on the couch, Naruto deftly twirling a kunai in his hand with an occasional toss in the air while Sakura's eyes skimmed through a rather verbose looking treatise on the practical usage of Sealing Techniques.

They hadn't even bothered to look up from what they were doing. Kakashi's eye crinkled with a smile. "Mah, have you become so jaded that you can't muster the urge to scold your old teacher for his tardiness?"

Sakura finally looked up, a wry smile teasing her features. "Don't tempt me. I might take you up on that." She tried to feign nonchalance as she returned to her book, but her lips had set in a firm line. It ruined the effect. He couldn't help notice Sasuke's barely repressed smirk or the snicker that Naruto tried to pass off as a cough.

It was adorable that she was trying to exercise restraint, but Kakashi had little hope she would succeed. He counted the seconds in his head. To the surprise of no one in the room, she failed miserably, throwing the book into her lap with an exasperated huff. He had to hand it to her though, she'd lasted a whole five seconds. A new record.

"When people say 'absence makes the heart grow fonder' you know that doesn't mean 'avoid contact by any and all means', right?"

Kakashi broke out in a cold sweat. She phrased it as a question but he knew that he was on the verge of getting the third degree.

His more exuberant student chose this moment to save him from her critical eye. Unfortunately, Naruto had taken his 'deer caught in the headlights' look as an invitation for to invade his personal space—when had the blonde gotten so tall?

Naruto gave him an enthusiastic clap on the back and a—thankfully—one armed hug. The blonde jabbered about how he'd missed him, recent missions he'd been on and one time where Kiba had apparently gotten his—it was a bit too much information for Kakashi and he decided that this was a good time to drift out of the one-sided conversation.

Kakashi's own teacher was somewhere beyond veil, having a good laugh at him. He cursed his luck. He'd made a habit of keeping people at arm's length that fate, in a fit of pique, had seen fit to give him students that latched to him like obstinate leeches. He let Naruto have his moment before extricating himself. It was only fair to greet his remaining student after all. He chose to ignore Sakura; a sidestep could be as effective as a punch.

Sasuke grunted. Kakashi knew that was the closest to acknowledgment he was going to get so he returned it with a wave, deliberately lazy. Their relationship was built on mutual respect but—Kakashi looked at him and saw a mirror, a distorted reflection of his youth that he couldn't bear to gaze upon—their recent exchanges had been strained.

The young shinobi never brought it up. He was far too professional. That and it would be caving into Sakura's incessant preaching—Kakashi never really paid attention, though from what he'd gathered, it was something about expressing feelings. Weren't you supposed to suppress those? That's what normal people did—and neither he nor Sasuke were about to do that. It was the principle of the thing and above all else, Kakashi was a man who held to his principles.

Regardless, they hadn't needed to talk about it. Kakashi noticed the curtness; he saw it in the increase of monosyllabic replies and stiff stares. That was expressive enough on its own. As for Sasuke…

With someone so close the Hokage, it was difficult not to read between the lines. Sasuke must have learned that Kakashi had advised against his promotion. He hadn't taken it well, but Kakashi hadn't either when his teacher had done the same. They both defied their teacher's wishes. Sasuke made a good Jonin. It seemed he used his mission success rate as means to spite Kakashi. But Kakashi hadn't withheld his recommendation because he felt Sasuke lacked skill.

The door was gently pushed inwards and the Hokage's presence seemed to suffuse the room.

Itachi Uchiha never walked. He carried himself, resolute in a purpose known only to him, each step calculated, every step just so—he knew his place, and it was as the most dangerous person in the room. He was young for someone that held his position, but to say he walked detracted from the air of calculated intent that engulfed him in a cloak.

The shinobi stood at attention with a sharp salute and Itachi bid them to sit. The Hokage sat behind his desk and he cut straight to the matter at hand. He passed the mission briefs to everyone in the room.

"Over the past few months, we have lost all communication with the Wave country. It was slow enough as not to draw notice. Travellers being diverted due to construction, rescheduled meetings with our envoys and so on. The Daimyo of the country has always been somewhat notorious in his own inattentiveness so at first, there was little to draw suspicion."

The two Jonin read the brief in silence while Naruto frowned at the page in consternation.

Sakura's eyes skimmed the pages, looking for something. Her eyes widened with surprise. "But...there's nothing here. Records of the Daimyo's meetings? Intelligence on the economic climate? Information in the cities infrastructure? There's almost nothing here aside from a map and a shrug."

Kakashi had always known that Sakura's greatest strength was reading between the lines, but he still finds it in him to be proud. Itachi gave her an approving nod and continued.

"Yes, the evidence is now undeniable. Someone has deliberately orchestrated this. That someone is also intelligent enough to cover their tracks. If you'll inspect the records of business deals that have occurred over past year, a pattern emerges. A conglomerate of shell corporations have been performing buyouts on almost everything worth owning within the country: oil rigs, shipping companies, engineering firms and anything with the means of mass production."

The Hokage sifting through the pile of notes. He found what he was looking for and placed it on the desk for the rest of them to see. He tapped the page.

"These dummy corporations and their paper-trail all lead to one company. WaveCo. Holdings, headed by one Tshuchiya Gatou."

While the other shinobi gleaned the essentials of the document, Itachi rubbed his chin in thought.

"However, it seems unlikely that he is the true culprit. The paper-trail ends with him, but up until a few years ago, there wasn't any indication that the company had the means to accomplish something of this scale. They were, for all intents and purposes, just another shipping company. There has to be someone else pulling the strings from behind the scenes."

A small frown crossed Itachi's features but he continued. "So your mission will be as follows. You are to infiltrate Wave. Preferably under assumed identities but with the recent denial of entry into the region you might have no option other than moving under the cover of night. Gather as much information on the current political and economic climate as possible. At the very least, you need to gather enough information to create a clear picture of the situation within the country's borders. However, your ultimate goal will be to find who is pulling WaveCo.'s strings. There is no longer any hope of this being a wild goose chase. They are gathering influence at an alarming rate and I will not stand by while a power base is built right on our doorstep."

Itachi sat, his hands clasped beneath his chin, in silence for a few moments. Almost as if weighing them. It was hard to determine what he was trying to convey with his stare.

Interpreting the various silences of the Uchiha was an art-form in itself. Kakashi noted the tightness in it. Finally, Itachi broke the tension.

"You are here not because of your mission records or your individual performance. You are here because as a unit, you best represent Konoha's ideals. I hold you in high esteem but it's not your power that I value. It's your ability, as a group, to make the best decisions possible in an environment that doesn't allow good solutions."

Itachi stood and turned his gaze to the window—to Konoha— for a few moments. He eventually to turned back to them, his expression unreadable. The shinobi knew this was not the time to preen. The Hokage didn't give praise for its own sake.

"The world has been at peace for a long time. A tenuous one at best, but one does not look a gift horse in the mouth. I have worked hard to maintain it. While I regret the necessity of the things I've done…" His eyes almost imperceptibly shifted to Sasuke in that moment but he continued. "There is little use in getting caught up in 'what ifs' and 'may haves'. The past is best kept buried and there is little gained from airing it's corpse. I say this not as an apology or so that you might pity me. What I need, is for you to understand."

Itachi carefully picked his words, each syllable lending to a larger rhythm.

"Peace comes as a result of sacrifice. It's required offering is varied, changeable but it always comes with a price. Sometimes, it's at great personal cost. Other times, it's your brethren that pay."

He drew breath, each word a nail in a crucifix. A Judgment.

"There is always someone that pays the price but it is one that I pay gladly. I have chosen you for this mission because, even if you aren't aware of it, I think each one of you understand the consequences of such a sacrifice."

Kakashi noticed his students shift under the weight of those words, unsure if they were capable of bearing the load of the Hokage's expectations.

In his heart, he knew they understood.

* * *

Naruto navigated the crowd with gusto.

He took it as a personal challenge; how far can he make his way through the mass of bodies before they could take notice and start glaring at him?

In his more introspective moments— they were rare and it had taken a while to realize he was even capable of it—he wondered why he treated his alienation from the community with such a blasé attitude and he'd come to a realization.

He saw it as an obstacle. A contest. People wanted to strain themselves in their attempts to ignore him and treat him as if he was some kind of monster? That was just fine with him. Sometimes you had to grab recognition by the balls and twist. If he couldn't earn it through thick-headed obstinance, his name wasn't Naruto Uzumaki, believe it!

He was about to turn into the street where his shoddy apartment awaited him, but he caught sight of a familiar ramen stand and a shimmer of long brown hair that slowed his pace.

He patted himself down, just to make sure his Chunin vest looked as snazzy as possible and threw a swagger in his step. He sauntered to the stand where the love of his life awaited him, exuding confidence that suited a shinobi of his caliber.

He leaned over the counter with a practiced nonchalance, head propped with his hand and opened with his most surefire lady-killer pickup line. "Where have you been all my life, baby?"

He loved the classics.

Ayame looked up from the broth she was handling and acknowledged him with a pained roll of her chocolate brown eyes.

But the upward quirk of her lips threatened to crack a smile. "Working the ramen stand. Just like yesterday. And the day before that. And the day before that as well. Also 'Where have you been all my life?', that's the best you could do?"

She seemed caught between frustration and begrudging amusement. But Naruto knew that was only a matter of time before she'd fall for his captivating charms.

She didn't give him time to follow through. "So what will it be, Naruto? The miso is on special today and we have..."

As she began to list what the stand had on offer, the blonde knew that he'd been foiled. She was all business, yet it was a quality he found endearing. She was a woman after his own heart. The flattery died on his lips before he delivered it. He had a mission from the Hokage. One with with a requirement to kick ass and take names.

With reluctance, he declined. This wasn't the time for ramen. Or flirtatious banter. "Nah, I gotta get going. I got a long-term mission to get ready for, directly from the Hokage himself, believe it!"

Just as he spun around in the direction of home, Ayame called out to him. "Hey brat, don't get a big head just because you're getting all this attention from Uchiha-sama, you hear? Don't be a stranger, we'd miss your dumb ass."

In response to her farewell, he gave her a cheeky grin, a parting wave and turned to make haste back to his apartment. He blew her a kiss for good measure.

He was able to catch her emphasized eye-roll before he turned the corner. He knew you always had to leave them wanting.

As he fiddled with the keys to open his door, he reflected that while most people seemed to want nothing to do with him, it made the ones who did all the more special.

* * *

The Uchiha district buzzed with life.

The midday sun shone overhead. Customers haggled with street merchants. Children played in the streets while exasperated parents attempted to navigate around them or pull them away from their games to leave for home. None of it was able to pull Sasuke out his thoughts.

" _While I regret the necessity of the things I've done…"_

" _Peace comes as a result of sacrifice. It's required offering is varied, changeable but it always comes with a price. Sometimes, it's at great personal cost. Other times, it's your brethren that pay."_

" _Your brethren."_

The straps of his bag cut into his shoulders. The pack was heavy. But he'd made sure to be prepared for any eventuality. As he made his way out, towards the gates of Konoha, he couldn't help but brood.

Itachi never misspoke. Every word was picked to convey the exact meaning he wanted. It was a precision that he held himself to in every aspect of his life. Sasuke couldn't help but grit his teeth.

 _He doesn't regret his part in their deaths._

On some level, Sasuke had always known this. It was a cruel fact to acknowledge. But there it was.

It had taken him a long time to make peace with his parents' deaths. He'd been young when they were both executed for their collusion with the former Uchiha elders to stage a coup. Just not young enough to not have felt the shame.

The shame hadn't clogged the hole in his heart. It hadn't made him miss them in any less. Love them any less. Sasuke had long since forgotten a time when turmoil could be neatly categorized.

As he tread these lines of thought he felt someone bump into him, he noticed a Chunin jacket and a flash of blond. He recognized some of his younger cousins that chased after it.

Sasuke took a deep, calming breath. This didn't stop his eyes clenching shut in annoyance. He felt a headache coming on.

 _What the hell was the idiot doing now?_

He formed a hand-seal and flickered towards Naruto. Sasuke wished that he was capable of being surprised but with Naruto, you just had to suspend your incredulity. It was either that or set him on fire, but they had a mission to get to.

He didn't want to give the others an excuse to get pissy with him. He'd just have to settle for setting him on fire when they got home. Sakura could probably be convinced to help him get rid of the body. He pushed that last thought aside. She'd probably want the kill, as well, and Sasuke wasn't good with sharing.

He found Naruto driven into a corner by his younger cousins. He might have been alarmed if the eldest hadn't been eight years old. One of them seemed to have a firm grip around his neck while trying to climb up onto his back—the fact that Naruto was wearing a travel pack didn't seem to deter him— and the others were egging him on as they tried to get Naruto to… do whatever the hell it was that they wanted him to do.

Naruto made eye contact, eyes shining with relief. With his free arm, he formed a hand-sign at Sasuke. _Help me._

Sasuke paused to consider this for a moment. He signed his reply. _Why?_

The blond looked betrayed. The children were becoming frenzied in their enthusiastic attempts to get Naruto to… Sasuke's brows furrowed as he tried to figure out what it was that they were trying to accomplish. Maybe it was one of those trivial civilian things- what were they called again? … _Games_?

Naruto's face hardened and he flipped through another series of signs, finger movements exaggerated. Possibly out of anger. Or panic. Sasuke wasn't sure and he didn't care. The message read loud and clear. _I'll tell on you…_

Sasuke had to repress a wince. He sighed in resignation and walked over to his cousins to break up the cheeky little shits' game. It was a game, wasn't it?

While the blond moron went out of his way to be an annoyance, there was thing Naruto had genuinely talent for.

The blond was good at getting Sasuke out of his own head.

* * *

If Sakura could just get Naruto to hold _still,_ they would have been done with this already.

However he continued to almost vibrate with excitement. Sakura ground her teeth. Despite this, she drew the lines with precision over the backpack, each character flowing into the next, to complete the seal array.

"Couldn't I have just put the backpack on once you were done?" It seemed that Naruto still needed to learn there was a time and place for valid points. This wasn't one of them.

 _Baby-steps_ , she told herself. She was still surprised that beating sense into him had actually worked. Sure, she got frustrated with his antics and she needed to work out the frustration somehow. But it was hard to argue with results.

She put that thought aside for now. She could sense Sasuke's smirk behind her. Sakura paused to rub her temples. "Because shut up, that's why."

She stroked the brush through the curve of the last symbol. Now, if she had understood the text correctly, she just had to gently channel her chakra into the seal and…

The seal sparked to life, with a hiss and gentle white light.

Success.

Naruto tugged at the shoulder straps, as if to make sure the pack was still there. He turned to her with a beam and a thumbs-up. "Wow, that's amazing. It's like I'm not wearing anything! You're the best, Sakura!"

She couldn't help but break into a smug grin. She supposed that she was too harsh with him at times; his enthusiasm was endearing. There was little that could burst the bubble of happiness he lived in.

Unfortunately, he ruined the moment with a waggle of his eyebrows."Has anyone ever told you that you're cute when you're grumpy?"

On second thought, he was an idiot. Couldn't he tone down the flirting? Sakura had to quash her urge to murder him and hide the body. That could come afterwards, when they were all home in one piece. Then she would kill him.

She settled with a slap to the back of his head. Ignoring his pained moans of protest, she turned to face everyone. "So, are we ready to head out?"

Wary of doing anything to earn her ire, the two Jonin gave a pair of emphatic nods and together they passed through Konoha's gates.

The mission had begun in earnest.

As they were walking Kakashi turned to them. "The journey to Wave takes about three days, so we have time to come up with a plan for how we're going to sneak through the border. If we put our heads together, we should be able cook up something suitably creative."

Sakura nodded while the other two replied in the affirmative.

The late afternoon sun tinged the sky with orange. Its heat, while not oppressive, still bore down with a heavy weight. A soft breeze tickled Sakura's arms. She yawned, the heat of the sunset made her want to curl up in the summer grass and lay there for a while, watching the sun as it sunk beneath the horizon. She was still inexperienced with using seals and she'd underestimated how much chakra it would consume in the process.

Kakashi leafed through his porn in content while Sasuke goaded Naruto into some good old fashioned bickering. Still feeling the worn from creating the seal arrays, Sakura was happy to be left with her thoughts.

In her youth, she had never imagined that one day she would stand amongst them as equals. It had proved to be both easier and harder than she thought. Quite frankly, she still found herself surprised that they had become the cohesive unit that they were today.

Their argument was starting to get out of hand. Sasuke gave Naruto a bop on the head. The blond squawked with indignation.

Sasuke was an asshole. Granted, one that she had a soft-spot for—not to make mention of the finely toned butt itself, but of course, she was above such lechery—despite his taciturn attitude. It had taken time but he'd learned the value of not being an ass. It hadn't come to him with ease, but he found his peace.

The blond danced just out of Sasuke's reach, sticking his tongue out at him.

Naruto was, well, Naruto. He had the attention span of a koi-fish and while he had a heart of gold—and a firm chest that covered it, _NO, BAD Sakura_ —it came with a rebellious streak that spanned the borders of the Land of Fire. He'd matured since those bygone years.

At last, Kakashi took notice of his students squabble and he took mercy on Sakura. Pulling them apart, he proceeded to give them a dressing down.

Their teacher remained an enigma. She doubted that any of them could claim to know him. But she knew how much he cared about them. It irked her that he seemed to content to observe them from the sidelines. Unwilling to intrude. Unwilling to let them in.

He shared little of himself, but she had noticed the way his eye seemed to crinkle with fondness as he observed them.

Watching as they cried, fought, bickered and grew with each other.

Finally. There was blessed silence.

She'd had the luxury of a stable home. A loving family. So she'd always been on the outside, orbiting them, always near but not quite close enough. Despite this, her team had come to see her as a rock. She'd give them a beating or two but eventually, she caught herself listening. Inferring things left unsaid. Maybe they were the ones that orbited her.

It wasn't until Ino that she'd understood. They rarely had time for gossip anymore but when they could, they made the time. After yet another rant, bemoaning her team-mates' less admirable traits, Sakura asked why she put up with them.

Ino had scoffed in response. She said they were her boys. It was that simple.

Her boys.

And she'd be damned if she let anything happen to them.

* * *

 _Akai Shatsu couldn't tear his gaze away from the body. Blood pooled beneath it, a senbon was lodged in its throat._

 _Hadn't he just been tal_ _—_

 _He screamed._

 _His spine tore, pain crippled him for a moment and then all sense from the waist down left him. He looked down at his stomach and saw the gargantuan blade that had pierced him clean through._

 _As life left his body, he turned to face his killer._

 _He locked eyes with a beast._

 _ **Chapter 2 - Welcome to the Wave**_


End file.
